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2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Drivers' Notes Review | A little power goes to our heads

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is nearly 30 years old. The current car — dubbed the ND — is in its fourth iteration and packs a number of updates for 2019, most notably a bump of 26 horsepower and 3 pound-feet over the 2018 model. The car now makes 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm while redline has been raised to 7,500. That might not sound like a lot, but when you're moving fewer than 2,400 pounds of steel, aluminum and plastic, it feels plenty strong. Our test car was a Soul Red roadster with a brown top, an odd but striking combination. A power-retractable top is available as the Miata RF. This top-tier Grand Touring trim comes with features like automatic climate control, heated seats and leather seats. It might not be the most practical or versatile car on the road, but it might just be the most fun for the money. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: I was excited when I woke up to the Miata covered in snow in my driveway. After all, this tester came equipped with Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires. By the time I could pry myself away from my work and take the car for a spin, though, the snow had mostly melted. I still had fun flinging this around on the cold, wet roads. The first thing I noticed was actually what I didn't notice ... I wasn't wishing for just a little more power, for once. Chalk it up to the conditions, or to the extra 26 horsepower Mazda added for 2019, but this felt appropriately potent. If anything, it's just enough to help get the rear end to wiggle a bit and the tires to more readily chirp in second gear. The Miata, fresh from the factory, has learned to do the cha-cha. Oddly enough, though, my wife, who has been salivating over this generation of MX-5 since the first time I brought one home, has cooled on it a little bit. We went out on a date night, and she was hyper aware of the noise and bumps, and I was, too, frankly. Something about bundling up under an icy soft top can kill the mood of this convertible. In the summer, the sound of the engine and telegraphic feel of the road beneath you blend with the warmth of the sun and the tug of the wind in automotive harmony. It's still fun to drive in the cold, but it doesn't quite turn on the charm like it normally does. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I've spent a lot of time behind the wheel of various NDs over the past few years. The weekend I got married, my wife and I drove a Soul Red roadster from Los Angeles to San Francisco for a brief honeymoon.

2019 Mazda CX-9 gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, slightly higher price

Now that Mazda finally launched Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the 2018 Mazda6, the company isn't wasting time proliferating the infotainment upgrade to the rest of the lineup. The next on the list is the 2019 Mazda CX-9 large family crossover SUV. It's standard on Touring, Grand Touring, and Signature trims. But if you choose to go with the most affordable Sport trim, it's an option. Up-to-date infotainment isn't the only upgrade to the new CX-9. Every version receives thicker floor mats and a thicker headliner meant to further reduce the amount of noise that enters the cabin. The transmission is also retuned, and Mazda says the new tuning is meant to provide a smoother, quieter driving experience. We'll be interested to see how effective it is the next time we have a CX-9 in the office. Each individual trim level also gets some new options and features. The base Sport trim has a Sport Package available that adds heated front seats, a power driver's seat, heated mirrors, lane-keep assist and departure warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The package rings in at $1,290. The Touring trim gets the fewest new features with its only new addition, besides the infotainment, being a frameless rearview mirror. The Grand Touring trim receives the 7-inch screen in the instrument panel also found in the Mazda6, along with new power side mirrors and a 360-degree camera system. The top-level Signature trim gets new badges, rosewood interior trim, and accent lighting in the grille and around the shifter. With all these new features come new prices, which are naturally higher than last year's. The smallest price increase is between base Sport models. The new one is just $150 more than the old one. The largest increase comes with the Signature trim, which now costs $1,050 more than the 2018 model. You can see the entire price list and changes below. Trim 2019 2018 Sport (FWD) $33,275 $33,125 Touring (FWD) $36,325 $35,955 Grand Touring (FWD) $41,835 $41,465 Signature (AWD-only) $46,360 $45,310 AWD Option (Sport-Grand Touring) $1,800 $1,800 Related Video:

Premium design and diesels: Mazda may be the next VW

At the Chicago Auto Show, we had a chance to sit down with Jacob Brown, a Mazda PR representative, and Jacques Flynn, a lead exterior designer at the company, to talk about design and where the company is going. One of the themes of our discussion was the company's desire to move its lineup toward a more premium, upscale feel and image – both in terms of vehicle design and powertrains. We realized the company may be looking to take a page from Volkswagen's American playbook, positioning itself as a prime purveyor of affordable, upscale – and most importantly, fun to drive – automobiles. In the case of design, Flynn talked about how Mazda's KODO design language is going to evolve; that the goal is to simplify and refine the look. We discussed the CX-5 as an example of this evolution. Flynn pointed out that the goal was to add more refinement and simplicity, and showed how Mazda achieved this on the CX-5 by straightening the curves from the previous model to give it more visual length and a more taut shape. The grille also was given more depth and detailing, which isn't simplified per se, but does provide a more premium look. View 9 Photos Mazda's upcoming diesel engines are another piece to Mazda's premium puzzle. The company will finally offer a diesel on the CX-5. While Mazda planned not to use urea-injection, it finally resorted to the system so the engine could both meet performance benchmarks and emissions standards. In addition to the efficiency of the engine, Brown said that diesel engines have a premium nature for buyers. This is due in part to the luxury automakers that mainly offer them in the US, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and to the fact that the technology will add some cost to the product. If all of this sounds familiar, it's because you know these characteristics used to describe Volkswagen: a company known for upscale, affordable cars, providing great driving dynamics – and formerly, for efficient and fun-to-drive TDI diesel engines. While we didn't touch on the driving experience of modern Mazdas in our interview, you can simply look at any of our reviews to see that we generally like what the company builds. The only downside is that we may have to wait a while for some models, and others may never show up here. Brown and Flynn both said that the Mazda2 is unlikely to be offered in the US as anything other than the Toyota Yaris iA, since it's hard to convince people that a subcompact is premium. No surprise there.